Lenny Siegel was the only council member who understood the ordinance was about to morph into a "Permit Parking Armageddon". The RPP initiative was originally disguised as a single family home spillover convenience program for certain types of residents wanting time restricted streets to deter commuters and downtown workers, but still felt entitled to unfettered parking access in front of their homes for themselves, their guests and/or renters. The original proposal excluded PUD’s and high density multi family housing residents from participating because more permits equal less available parking spots, equal less parking opportunities and defeats the original purpose of the parking committee's friendly initiative. The initiative was never an “all resident” quality of life issue. The proposed ordinance was discriminatory and more of an election year “rewards” program for a specific type of resident.
The Attorney General of California reminded the council October 4th it is not okay to discriminate against a particular type of resident within the parking district. In fact, any type of resident within the hypothetical parking area can participate. Additionally, the city cannot impose arbitrary dates of construction to exclude certain types of developments (PUD’s, TOD’s, and Multi family residents within the defined districts). Council approves 6-1.
Hundreds and hundreds of nearly free $60 per year permits and $20 guest permits will be made available to multi family residents, PUD residents, and every single family home resident within a designated permit area. Opportunities for arbitrage and gaming are mind boggling. Every home eligible will have access to a minimum of 5 or more permits. A single block adjacent to the downtown parking district with only 31 homes will have access to 150 parking permits to park anywhere within their color coded minimum 3 block parking district. Assuming residents of that block would prefer to park within their own footprint, they would certainly pay $20 each for 62 guest permits at a minimum. Why pay to park in a multi family underground garage or Caltrain lot when you can have cheap unrestricted permits to park up or down the block, hand to a friend or rent via mobile app to a stranger? There is a high likelihood of re purposing garages for fun or profit.
Please delay/suspend/table the 2nd reading of the RPP ordinance.
Initiate a 2 hour Time Restricted Block program (9am-6pm for example). Block residents would continue to park within their own footprint. Commuters and downtown workers would be deterred. Plenty of space available for guests, service workers and visitors to downtown. TRB’s already function amazingly well for residents that manage to park within their footprint. City staff supported small steps first. A TRB program would be a great first step for those block residents that feel burdened by commuters and downtown workers.
An ordinance handing out hundreds and hundreds of cheap permits to access a handful of time restricted streets in OMV is inane, discriminatory or not.
Maybe OMV will have to park within their own footprint after all once street parking is oversold and vehicles are subject to only a 72 hour parking restriction assuming parking enforcement is available to enforce.
